COCA-COLA Philippines launched last September 28 “Live Positively”–an ongoing initiative to make a positive difference in the world by integrating sustainability into all aspects of the company’s business and operations.
“Live Positively is our commitment and call to action to embed sustainability across our entire value chain as we seek to make a lasting and positive difference in the world,” said Guillermo Aponte, president and general manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.
Through Live Positively, Coca-Cola Philippines has committed to make a positive impact across four core areas — Marketplace, Community, Workplace and Environment — with seven sustainability pillars within, namely: Beverage Benefits, Active Healthy Living, Water Stewardship, Sustainable Packaging, Energy Management and Climate Protection, Community and Workplace.
“As we invest an additional US$1 billion in the Philippines over five years, we’ll be using Live Positively to drive sustainable growth, foster more innovation and create value and make a difference for all our stakeholders well into the future. Our sustainability goals span across the core areas where our business intersects with society and we are pleased to announce today a number of commitments that will underpin our sustainability efforts in the Philippines,” said Aponte.
• Beverage Benefits. Coca-Cola Philippines, the leading non-alcoholic beverage business in the Philippines, will continue to innovate to meet the evolving lifestyles and refreshment needs of Filipino consumers, providing a broad portfolio of quality non-alcoholic beverages in a range of pack sizes, manufactured in the Philippines. Samurai energy drink and Real Leaf ready-to-drink tea are among the latest additions to the portfolio of innovations launched by the company in the Philippines. The company will also launch for the first time an initiative to place front-of-pack energy information on its products in the Philippines. This will help consumers more easily select any of the company’s portfolio of beverages to fit their daily energy, hydration and refreshment needs.
• Active, Healthy Living. Coca-Cola Philippines will expand programs that encourage regular physical activity such as Coca-Cola Hoopla, a grassroots basketball tournament and series of training clinics that will directly involve more than 150,000 teenagers between now and the end of 2013.
• Water Stewardship. Coca-Cola will seek to establish a truly water sustainable business in the Philippines in support of the company’s global goal of safely returning to communities and to nature the amount of water equivalent to what the company uses in all of its beverages and their production. To this end,
Coca-Cola Philippines will improve water use efficiency in its production facilities by 30% between now and the end of 2013; ensure that 100% of the wastewater from its manufacturing processes is treated and returned to nature at a level that supports aquatic life; and fully replenish the water used in its finished beverages through watershed conservation efforts and community water projects.
• Sustainable Packaging. Coca-Cola Philippines will reduce its use of packaging materials in glass and PET bottles by more than 15,000 metric tons between now and the end of 2013, which is equivalent to reducing carbon dioxide levels by more than 13,000 metric tons.
• Energy Management and Climate Protection. Coca-Cola Philippines will ensure that its new coolers are equipped with energy-saving technology that reduces energy consumption by up to 35% compared to its existing coolers. The company is also piloting the use of biomass in its production processes, by converting spent rice hulls into biomass fuel to help generate electricity and steam.
• Community. Coca-Cola Philippines will help build sustainable communities and continue to support locally-relevant public-private partnerships (PPPs) that improve access to education, health and safe water in underserved communities. Between now and the end of 2013, this will include the construction of 100 fully-outfitted Little Red Schoolhouse classrooms in remote public schools in partnership with the Department of Education as well as the distribution of mineral and vitamin fortified ‘Nutrijuice’ products to over 100,000 schoolchildren in partnership with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology to help reduce the incidence of Iron Deficiency Anemia among schoolchildren.
• Workplace. Coca-Cola Philippines will continue to provide an open, safe and healthy workplace environment, in which all its employees are treated with fairness and respect and given training to develop their skills and opportunities to contribute to business success. The company will also drive a sustainability culture within its organization and provide regular opportunities for employees to make a difference.
“Live Positively is a modern-day expression of our Company’s heritage in the Philippines of always striving to be a good neighbor and a trusted corporate citizen. For almost 100 years, in good times and bad times, we’ve always sought to run our Philippines business in a responsible way. But, today, more is required. The social, environmental and economic issues facing the Philippines and indeed the world are more urgent than ever – and they affect us all. We are determined to do our part and Live Positively is our way of contributing to the new wave of collective action and positive change sweeping the Philippines,” Aponte said.
At the Live Positively launch event in Manila, Undersecretary of Education Yolanda Quijano and Lory Tan, president and vice chairman of the Board of WWF-Philippines, expressed their support towards the initiative. “Coca-Cola’s Live Positively program is a leadership example of public-private partnership through which companies can help to enhance people’s lives through programs that are relevant to community needs. We look forward to partnering with Coca-Cola on its Little Red Schoolhouse program that has already built 81 schools across the country, benefitting 51,000 children to date. We hope that more individuals and organizations, like
Coca-Cola, would care about benefitting the education of children in poverty-stricken areas,” Quijano said.
“We’re grateful for Coca-Cola Philippines’ long-term commitment to a partnership with the WWF, focusing on water stewardship”, added Tan. “Starting in 2008, this Coca-Cola/WWF partnerships aim to protect the country’s most important fresh water river basins, starting with the Santa Rosa and Abuan watersheds. Through this partnership, we will work to help Coca-Cola Philippines achieve its “Live Positively” environmental targets and strive together toward sustainable management of freshwater resources in the Philippines.”
About Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola has been present in the Philippines since the start of the 20th century and has been locally produced since 1912. The Philippines received the first Coca-Cola bottling and distribution franchise outside North America. The Philippines bottling operation is among the biggest 10 Coca-Cola bottlers globally.
The Company’s portfolio of brands in the Philippines includes Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, Coca-Cola Zero, Coca-Cola Light, Sprite, Royal, Powerade, Eight O’Clock, Minute Maid, Real Leaf, Wilkins, Viva, Samurai, Pop, Sarsi, Jaz and Sparkle.
The Coca-Cola system in the Philippines employs over 8,000 associates across the country.
For more information about The Coca-Cola Company, please visit our website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
